Trojans remain on feet in slugfest

UALR’s Danny Mitchell Jr. (left) congratulates teammate Matt Merino after a third-inning home run Friday against South Alabama at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock.
UALR’s Danny Mitchell Jr. (left) congratulates teammate Matt Merino after a third-inning home run Friday against South Alabama at Gary Hogan Field in Little Rock.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and South Alabama battered each other in the muggy rain Friday night at Gary Hogan Field in a 13-9 Trojans' victory.

The first game of the three-game series had five lead changes, and Trojans junior pinch-hitter James Gann hit an RBI single in the eighth to give UALR a 10-9 lead.

The run total tied a season high for UALR (24-19, 13-8 Sun Belt Conference), and the Trojans remain atop the West Division standings.

"That was a 15-round, blow-for-blow knockdown," UALR Coach Chris Curry said. "That certainly gives you confidence. Those guys are the defending conference champions."

Sophomore reliever Carter Brown (1-2, 8.34 ERA) earned the victory over South Alabama (25-18, 13-8) after pitching a scoreless eighth inning with a strikeout and a hit, and senior righty Justin Garcia earned his 10th save of the season with a strikeout.

Junior shortstop Matt Merino went 3 for 5 with 3 hits, a home run and a game-high 4 RBI.

South Alabama junior righty reliever Zach Greene (2-4, 3.71) earned the loss after pitching 4⅔ innings with 2 hits, 2 earned runs, a walk and 8 strikeouts.

UALR held a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Merino and sophomore catcher Kale Emshoff both hit RBI singles.

South Alabama prevented more runs when sophomore catcher Carter Perkins threw out Merino, who attempted to steal second base. Then, Jaguars right fielder Michael Sandle threw out Emshoff, who attempted to stretch a single into a double after the ball bounced off the right-field wall.

By the third inning, a steady drizzle became moderate rainfall, and both starting pitchers gave up a combined 11 runs during the inning.

Trojans sophomore left-hander Chandler Fidel gave up a single and hit two batters to load the bases in the top of the third, and Perkins hit a grand slam to left field that gave the Jaguars a 5-2 lead.

The rain persisted, and Merino hit his two-run home run in the bottom of the third as the Trojans pulled within 5-4.

The Trojans had four hits in the third, knocking out South Alabama right-handed senior starter Tyler Carr while taking an 8-5 lead.

Junior third baseman Nick Perez hit an RBI double, and junior center fielder Marcus Ragan drove in the inning's final run with an RBI single to center field.

Carr's 2⅔ innings marked the shortest start of his career.

The Jaguars struggled to end the inning, and they surrendered the lead when Ryan Benavidez's line drive popped off the glove of Jaguars junior shortstop Deyvid Silva to allow a run to score.

"The rain was definitely a factor," said Merino, who is batting .290 with 28 RBI.

The rain stopped by the fifth, but Fidel gave up two runs on a single and a wild pitch after he started the inning with consecutive walks.

Fidel's seven earned runs tied the season-high run total he gave up in a 10-6 loss to Memphis on March 9.

"This was not a typical Friday night game," Curry said. "Usually you see this kind of score on Sundays."

Freshman right-hander Hayden Arnold relieved Fidel in the fifth and struck out the final batter of the inning to protect UALR's 8-7 lead.

Jaguars sophomore second baseman Hunter Stokes tied the game at 8-8 in the sixth with a home run to right field that traveled over the scoreboard and disappeared into the trees.

Then, Sandle hit an RBI infield single in the seventh to put South Alabama ahead 9-8.

UALR scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth, which was capped by a two-run double by Emshoff.

The Trojans and Jaguars play at 2 p.m. today.

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

UALR Coach Chris Curry (left) congratulates Nick Perez (28) after he scored on Christian Reyes’ RBI groundout in the third inning of the Trojans’ 13-9 victory over South Alabama on Friday at Gary Hogan Field.

Sports on 05/05/2018

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